Every US nickel -- from the 1866 Shield to the 2026 dual-date Jefferson -- weighs exactly 5.000 g. That includes war nickels (1942-1945), which share the same nickel weight despite being struck in 35% silver. The large mint mark above Monticello is the only reliable visual separator.
A US nickel weighs 5.000 g with a Mint tolerance of plus or minus 0.194 g -- and this is true for every type, including the silver war nickel.
All US five-cent coins -- Shield (1866-1883), Liberty Head (1883-1913), Buffalo (1913-1938), Jefferson (1938-present), and war nickels (Oct 1942-1945) -- are struck to a 5.000 g standard. The composition changed drastically during WWII (from 75% Cu / 25% Ni to 35% Ag / 56% Cu / 9% Mn), but the weight remained identical. A roll of 40 nickels weighs approximately 200 g of coin mass plus wrapper. Weight alone cannot distinguish a war nickel from a standard nickel; you must check for the large mint mark above the dome of Monticello on the reverse.
The table below covers the canonical weight and physical specs for the Jefferson nickel (current standard) and the war nickel variant. All predecessor designs share the same 5.000 g weight and 21.21 mm diameter.
| Specification | Jefferson nickel | War nickel | Tolerance / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight (grams) | 5.000 g | 5.000 g (war nickel -- identical) | plus or minus 0.194 g · 31 USC 5112(a)(5) specifies the five-cent coin weight; tolerance per US Mint production standard. |
| Diameter (mm) | 21.21 mm | 21.21 mm | plus or minus 0.13 mm · US Mint specification; unchanged across all nickel types since 1866. |
| Thickness (mm) | 1.95 mm | 1.95 mm | Standard Jefferson nickel thickness per US Mint. |
| Edge | Plain (no reeds) | Plain (no reeds) | The five-cent coin has always had a plain, smooth edge -- no reeding. |
| Composition (standard) | 75% Cu / 25% Ni (cupronickel, solid alloy throughout) | 35% Ag / 56% Cu / 9% Mn (war nickel only) | Current alloy per 31 USC 5112(a)(5); war-nickel alloy per US Mint historical records. |
| Silver content (ASW) | None (standard nickel) | 0.0563 troy oz (war nickel) | War nickel ASW calculated from 35% silver content at 5.000 g gross weight. |
| Reed count | 0 (plain edge) | 0 (plain edge) | No reeds on any US five-cent coin; not a useful authentication diagnostic. |
A precision scale is the fastest first check when you suspect a five-cent coin is counterfeit or wrong-composition. The expected nickel weight is 5.000 g with a Mint tolerance of plus or minus 0.194 g, giving a genuine pass band of 4.806 g to 5.194 g. One critical limitation: because war nickels (35% silver) and standard nickels (cupronickel) share the same 5.000 g target, a scale reading cannot tell them apart. Visual inspection of the mint mark position is required for war-nickel identification.
Weight alone is necessary but not sufficient. A tungsten-cored counterfeit can weigh exactly the same as a genuine coin. Always cross-check diameter, reed count, edge profile, and a ring test before concluding.
Pass: 4.806 g to 5.194 g -- within Mint tolerance; weight is consistent with a genuine US nickel of any type.
Border: 4.300 g to 4.805 g, or 5.195 g to 5.700 g -- outside Mint tolerance but conceivably worn, off-strike, or a foreign five-cent piece; verify diameter, edge plainness, and visual diagnostics before concluding.
Fail: Below 4.300 g or above 5.700 g -- likely counterfeit, wrong-metal slug, or a different denomination entirely. A standard-composition fake struck in lighter alloy will typically land in this range.
Use a digital scale calibrated to 0.01 g resolution or better. A jeweler's scale or a dedicated coin scale is suitable; kitchen scales accurate only to 1 g are insufficient for this purpose. Place the coin on the clean pan and read the weight without touching the coin (skin oils can shift a reading over time but do not meaningfully affect a single measurement).
Place the result in one of three bands. If the reading falls between 4.806 g and 5.194 g, the nickel weight is within the US Mint's published tolerance and the coin passes the weight screen. This does not confirm authenticity -- it means weight is not a counter-indicator.
If the reading falls between 4.300 g and 4.806 g, or between 5.194 g and 5.700 g, the coin is outside tolerance. Worn coins do lose measurable mass over decades, so a lightly underweight reading warrants further checks rather than immediate rejection. Inspect the edge (must be plain, not reeded), diameter (21.21 mm), and compare design detail under magnification.
Readings below 4.300 g or above 5.700 g are strong counterfeit indicators. The most common fake nickels circulating as of the dossier review date are cast resin or zinc-alloy slugs that weigh noticeably less than 5.000 g. Tungsten-core fakes are not economically motivated for a five-cent coin and are essentially nonexistent in practice.
Weight screening is necessary but not sufficient. A Henning counterfeit nickel (see fake-detection section) will pass a weight test because Henning used a metal alloy close to the genuine composition. The distinguishing diagnostic for the most dangerous Henning fakes -- his 1944 nickels -- is the absence of a large mint mark above the Monticello dome, not any weight anomaly.
The 5.000 g standard has held across every US five-cent coin design since 1866. The table below organizes all major type periods for quick reference.
| Years | Weight | Composition | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1866-1883 | 5.000 g | 75% Cu / 25% Ni cupronickel | Shield nickel -- the first US five-cent coin struck in cupronickel; established the 5.000 g baseline. |
| 1883-1913 | 5.000 g | 75% Cu / 25% Ni cupronickel | Liberty Head ('V') nickel -- the 1883 no-CENTS variety was briefly gilded and passed as $5 gold; design quickly corrected to add 'CENTS'. |
| 1913-1938 | 5.000 g | 75% Cu / 25% Ni cupronickel | Buffalo nickel -- same weight across both Type 1 (1913 raised mound) and Type 2 (1913-1938 flat ground); the 1937-D Three-Legged error falls within this range. |
| 1938 - Sept 1942 | 5.000 g | 75% Cu / 25% Ni cupronickel | Jefferson nickel, first issue -- small mint mark to the right of Monticello on reverse for D and S; Philadelphia had no mint mark. |
| Oct 8, 1942 - 1945 | 5.000 g | 35% Ag / 56% Cu / 9% Mn | War nickel -- identical weight to standard, but contains 0.0563 troy oz silver; LARGE mint mark above Monticello dome is the mandatory visual ID; first-ever 'P' on a US circulating coin. |
| 1946-2003 | 5.000 g | 75% Cu / 25% Ni cupronickel | Post-war Jefferson -- standard cupronickel restored; Felix Schlag's initials 'FS' added to obverse in 1966. |
| 2004-2005 | 5.000 g | 75% Cu / 25% Ni cupronickel | Westward Journey nickels -- four special reverses (Louisiana Purchase, Lewis & Clark Keelboat, American Bison, Western Waters); same weight. |
| 2006-2025 | 5.000 g | 75% Cu / 25% Ni cupronickel | Forward-facing Jefferson obverse (2006 redesign by Jamie Franki); restored Monticello reverse; weight unchanged. |
| 2026 | 5.000 g | 75% Cu / 25% Ni cupronickel | Semiquincentennial dual date '1776 ~ 2026'; Jefferson obverse preserved; Monticello reverse modified; weight unchanged. |
When the United States entered World War II, nickel metal was classified as a critical war material -- used in armor plating and weapon-grade steel alloys -- and the US Mint was directed to eliminate it from coinage. Starting October 8, 1942, five-cent coins were struck in a completely different alloy: 35% silver, 56% copper, and 9% manganese. The gross weight remained 5.000 g, matching the standard cupronickel nickel exactly.
Because weight is identical, a scale cannot separate a war nickel from a standard one. The Mint solved this identification problem deliberately: war nickels carry an unusually large mint mark placed above the dome of Monticello on the reverse, rather than in the standard small position to the right of the dome. Crucially, this was the first time the 'P' mint mark for Philadelphia appeared on any US circulating coin. Before 1942, Philadelphia-struck coins carried no mint mark at all. A genuine war nickel must show a large P, D, or S above Monticello -- if the mark is small, beside the dome, or absent, the coin is not a war nickel.
War nickels contain 0.0563 troy oz of pure silver per coin. At silver spot prices in the $30 to $40 per troy oz range cited in the dossier, the silver melt value runs roughly $1.70 to $2.25 per coin -- approximately 34 to 45 times face value. This makes war nickels popular in the 'junk silver' collector and stacking market. However, melting US nickels (including war nickels) is prohibited under 31 CFR Section 82, which carries penalties of up to $10,000 and/or 5 years imprisonment per violation. The silver content drives a legitimate collector premium; refining them into bullion is not lawful.
There is a soft magnetic test that can assist identification: the manganese content in the war nickel alloy produces a slight attraction to a strong neodymium magnet. Standard cupronickel nickels show no magnetic response. This test is directional, not conclusive -- a faint pull is consistent with a war nickel; no pull indicates a standard nickel. The large mint mark above Monticello remains the definitive diagnostic.
| years | Oct 8, 1942 - 1945 |
|---|---|
| weight g | 5 |
| composition | 35% silver, 56% copper, 9% manganese |
| asw troy oz | 0.0563 |
| mint mark placement | Large mint mark above Monticello dome (reverse) -- including 'P' for Philadelphia, the first time P was used on a circulating US coin |
US nickels are not a high-value counterfeiting target, but two specific categories merit careful attention: Henning counterfeit Jefferson nickels (1953-1955) and altered Buffalo nickels (notably the fabricated 1937-D Three-Legged variety). Standard weight screening catches low-effort fakes; the Henning problem requires visual diagnostics.
| Method | Reliability | How to | Pass | Fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight check (precision scale, 0.01 g resolution) | Medium | Weigh the coin on a calibrated jeweler's scale. The expected nickel weight is 5.000 g; the Mint pass band is 4.806 g to 5.194 g. | 4.806 g to 5.194 g -- consistent with a genuine US nickel of any type. | Below 4.300 g or above 5.700 g strongly suggests a counterfeit slug or wrong-metal substitute. Note: Henning nickels will pass this test because he used a near-correct alloy. |
| War nickel large-mint-mark position (naked eye or loupe) | High | On any nickel dated 1942-1945, examine the reverse above the dome of Monticello. A genuine war nickel will show a large P, D, or S above the dome. | Large P, D, or S mint mark centered above the Monticello dome on a 1942-1945 coin. | A 1944 nickel (or any 1942-1945 dated coin) with NO mint mark above the dome -- this is the primary diagnostic for a Henning counterfeit. |
| Diameter measurement (calipers) | High | Measure the coin's diameter with digital calipers. Genuine nickels measure 21.21 mm, tolerance plus or minus 0.13 mm. | 21.08 mm to 21.34 mm -- within tolerance for a genuine nickel. | Cast fakes and imprecise die-struck counterfeits often measure slightly smaller or larger; any reading outside 20.90 mm to 21.50 mm warrants rejection. |
| Edge inspection (smooth / plain edge) | High | Roll the coin between thumb and index finger while looking at the edge. It must be completely smooth -- no reeds, no lettering. | Perfectly smooth edge with no raised ridges. | Any reeding or lettering on the edge indicates either a wrong denomination or a cast fake that picked up texture from the mold. |
| Magnetic test (neodymium magnet) | Low | Hold a strong neodymium magnet near the coin. Standard cupronickel nickels are not magnetic; war nickels show a slight attraction due to their manganese content. | No magnetic response = consistent with standard cupronickel nickel. Slight faint pull = consistent with war nickel. | Strong magnetic attraction indicates a steel or iron core slug -- a counterfeit. A complete absence of response on a coin you believe is a war nickel warrants further inspection of the mint mark position. |
| Die detail comparison under 10x loupe (for Buffalo nickel alterations) | High | On suspected 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo nickels, examine the area between the buffalo's front hooves under magnification. A genuine Three-Legged variety shows a lump of metal at the belly and a stream-like feature between the hooves -- artifacts of the die-polishing event. | Lump at belly and stream feature present; front-right leg cleanly absent from the die, not tooled away. | A regular 1937-D Buffalo with a leg mechanically removed by tooling. Tooling marks -- scratches, filed surfaces, uneven metal removal -- indicate alteration, not a genuine die variety. |
| Design credit mark check (Jefferson nickels 1938-1965 vs 1966+) | Low | Check the truncation of Jefferson's bust on the obverse. Coins from 1966 onward carry the 'FS' initials of designer Felix Schlag. Pre-1966 genuine coins lack these initials. | 'FS' present on 1966 and later coins; absent on 1938-1965 coins. | 'FS' present on a coin dated before 1966 is an alteration or a modern die used on a backdated coin -- warrants expert review. |
Standard Jefferson nickels (and all US five-cent coins from 1866 through September 1942, and 1946 through today) contain no precious metal. The alloy is 75% copper and 25% nickel -- a solid cupronickel alloy throughout the coin's thickness, not a clad sandwich.
War nickels struck from October 8, 1942 through the end of 1945 are the only five-cent coins with silver content. Each coin contains 0.0563 troy oz of pure silver, derived from a gross weight of 5.000 g and a silver fineness of 35%. The formula: silver content (troy oz) = weight (g) times silver fineness divided by 31.1035 g per troy oz. At 5.000 g and 35% silver: 5.000 times 0.35 divided by 31.1035 = 0.0563 troy oz.
The manganese in the war nickel alloy (9%) serves two purposes: it provided the density and workability needed to maintain the 5.000 g weight target in the absence of nickel metal, and it imparts the faint magnetic signature useful for rough screening. The copper base (56%) gave the coins their slightly warm, reddish tone compared to the cooler gray of cupronickel -- a tonal difference visible under good lighting on unclirculated examples.
Silver content (troy oz) = Weight (g) x Silver fineness (0.35) / 31.1035
At $74.64 per troy ounce of silver, a war nickel contains roughly $0.00 of pure silver -- but melting US nickels is prohibited under 31 CFR Section 82, and collector premiums for war nickels in better grades regularly exceed their silver melt value.
War nickels trade in two overlapping markets: the 'junk silver' bullion market, where they are priced as fractional silver at a multiple of face value based on current spot prices, and the numismatic market, where date, mint mark, and grade command independent premiums. A circulated war nickel in Good condition typically sells near its silver melt value; a 1942-P or 1943-P in Mint State 65 will bring considerably more.
The silver content formula is straightforward: 0.0563 troy oz per coin times current spot price equals the melt floor. A roll of 40 war nickels contains 2.252 troy oz of silver (40 times 0.0563). At silver spot prices in the $30 to $40 per troy oz range documented in the dossier, a roll of war nickels carries $67.56 to $90.08 in silver content -- compared to $2.00 face value.
The anti-melting statute (31 CFR Section 82) makes the melt value a theoretical floor, not an achievable return for individual holders. Refiners who purchase war nickels in quantity must navigate legal compliance. The practical effect is that war nickels trade at a small premium above melt (for the legal-sale friction), rather than at melt. The collector premium for key dates and high grades is entirely separate from the melt calculation.
Silver spot pricing pulled live from coins-value.com; updates on weekday market open and close.
Every US nickel weighs 5.000 g -- this has been the standard since the Shield nickel debuted in 1866 and has not changed through any redesign or composition change, including the WWII-era war nickel. The US Mint tolerance is plus or minus 0.194 g, so a genuine coin can weigh anywhere from 4.806 g to 5.194 g and still be within specification. A roll of 40 nickels has approximately 200 g of coin mass.
A war nickel is a 1942-1945 five-cent coin struck in 35% silver, 56% copper, and 9% manganese instead of standard cupronickel. The US Mint changed the alloy because nickel metal was essential for WWII armor and weapons. The gross weight stayed at 5.000 g, so you cannot separate a war nickel from a standard nickel by weighing it. The mandatory visual ID: look for a large P, D, or S mint mark positioned directly above the dome of Monticello on the reverse. If the mint mark is large and above the dome, it is a war nickel.
Yes. War nickels (Oct 8, 1942 through 1945) weigh exactly 5.000 g -- identical to the standard 75% Cu / 25% Ni cupronickel nickel struck before and after the war years. The Mint deliberately maintained the same weight to keep coins interchangeable in commerce. Weight is therefore useless for separating the two types; the large mint mark above the Monticello dome is the definitive identifier.
Each war nickel contains 0.0563 troy oz of pure silver, calculated from the 35% silver content at 5.000 g gross weight. A roll of 40 war nickels holds 2.252 troy oz of silver. At silver spot prices around $30 to $40 per troy oz, a single war nickel's silver content is worth roughly $1.70 to $2.25 -- many times its five-cent face value. Note that melting US nickels is prohibited by 31 CFR Section 82 regardless of silver content.
A Henning nickel is a counterfeit Jefferson nickel struck by Francis LeRoy Henning in Cliffwood, New Jersey from 1953 to 1955. Approximately 480,000 were produced. The primary diagnostic: a coin dated 1944 that lacks the large mint mark above the Monticello dome is almost certainly a Henning fake. Genuine 1944 nickels must show a large P, D, or S above the dome because all 1942-1945 nickels are war nickels with the special mint mark placement. Henning counterfeits pass a weight test, so visual inspection is essential.
A US nickel weighs 5.000 g. For comparison: a cent weighs 2.500 g (post-1982 zinc) or 3.110 g (pre-1982 bronze), a dime weighs 2.268 g (clad) or 2.500 g (pre-1965 silver), a quarter weighs 5.670 g (clad) or 6.250 g (pre-1965 silver), and a half dollar weighs 11.340 g (clad). The nickel is heavier than the dime despite having a smaller face value -- a function of composition and design history rather than denomination logic.
Use a digital scale calibrated to 0.01 g resolution -- a jeweler's scale or dedicated coin scale works well. Kitchen scales accurate only to 1 g cannot detect the 0.194 g tolerance band. Place the coin flat on the clean pan without touching the surface. A genuine nickel should read between 4.806 g and 5.194 g. If the reading falls outside 4.300 g to 5.700 g, consider counterfeit diagnostics. Remember that weight screening alone cannot identify war nickels or Henning counterfeits.
The five-cent coin earned the 'nickel' nickname because of its 25% nickel content, which was unusual when the coin debuted in 1866. At the time, most US circulating coins were silver, gold, or copper -- the cupronickel alloy was novel. Even though copper makes up 75% of the coin by weight, the nickel component defined its popular identity. The name stuck through every subsequent design and alloy change, including the war years when the coin contained no nickel at all.
Thomas Jefferson has appeared on the nickel obverse since 1938, replacing the Buffalo nickel after its mandatory 25-year run. Jefferson was chosen by the Treasury Department for his role as a Founding Father -- author of the Declaration of Independence, third President, and designer of Monticello, which appears on the reverse. The 1938 design by Felix Oscar Schlag was based on a marble bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1789). Schlag's initials 'FS' were not added to the coin until 1966, twenty-eight years after the design entered production.
The 2026 nickel carries the dual date '1776 ~ 2026' on the obverse to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence (the semiquincentennial, commemorated under Public Law 116-330). The Jefferson portrait is preserved, and the Monticello reverse is modified for the occasion. The coin remains cupronickel, 5.000 g, and in regular circulation -- it is not a commemorative set-only issue. The 2026 reverse designer had not yet been publicly attributed by the US Mint at the time of dossier publication.
No. Melting US five-cent coins is prohibited under 31 CFR Section 82, regardless of the coin's metal content. This applies equally to standard cupronickel nickels and to war nickels with their silver content. The regulation also restricts mass export (over $5 face value in nickels or cents except for numismatic and travel purposes). Penalties include fines up to $10,000 and/or up to 5 years imprisonment per violation. War nickel silver content figures on this site are informational; they do not imply that melting is advisable or legal.
The 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo is a variety -- not a counterfeit -- created when a Denver Mint engraver over-polished a die to remove clash marks, inadvertently erasing the buffalo's front-right leg. Genuine examples show a lump of metal at the buffalo's belly and a stream-like feature between the front hooves -- die artifacts from the polishing. Circulated genuine examples bring $400 to $1,200; Mint State examples bring $5,000 to $20,000 or more. The variety is heavily faked by tooling the leg off a regular 1937-D; authentication requires magnification and inspection of those die diagnostics.
A standard US bank roll of 40 nickels contains 200 g of coin mass (40 times 5.000 g). Add approximately 1 to 2 g for the paper or plastic wrapper to get the packaged roll weight of roughly 201 to 202 g. For war-nickel rolls, the coin mass is the same (war nickels weigh 5.000 g each), but the silver content per roll is 2.252 troy oz (40 times 0.0563 troy oz). Weight uniformity across all nickel types means a roll weight of 200 g does not indicate whether the roll contains war nickels or standard issues.
Weight and composition tell you whether a coin is genuine -- but numismatic value depends on date, mint mark, and grade. The coins-value.com database covers Jefferson, Buffalo, Liberty Head, and war nickel pricing by year.
See nickel prices by year and mint mark →The Assay app can identify your coin from a photo -- useful for distinguishing war nickels, key dates, and Henning counterfeits before you decide next steps.
This page provides informational reference data only; weight-based authentication is a necessary first screen but is not sufficient to confirm or deny the authenticity of any individual coin.